When Proximity Falls Short: Inequalities in Commuting and Accessibility by Public Transport in Santiago, Chile

TL;DR

This study leverages mobile phone data to analyze commuting patterns and accessibility inequalities in Santiago, revealing disparities linked to social and demographic factors despite similar average commuting times across socioeconomic groups.

Contribution

It introduces a dynamic, large-scale analysis of urban accessibility using mobile network data and advanced spatial clustering, highlighting inequalities not captured by traditional static measures.

Findings

Higher-income groups do not always have shorter commutes despite proximity to opportunities.

Significant disparities exist in commuting patterns related to indigenous status and gender.

Average commuting times are similar across socioeconomic groups, indicating a disconnect between proximity and travel experience.

Abstract

Traditional measures of urban accessibility often rely on static models or survey data. However, location information from mobile networks now enables large-scale, dynamic analyses of how people navigate cities. This study uses eXtended Detail Records (XDRs) derived from mobile phone activity to analyze commuting patterns and accessibility inequalities in Santiago, Chile. First, we identify residential and work locations and model commuting routes using the R5 multimodal routing engine, which combines public transport and walking. To explore spatial patterns, we apply a bivariate spatial clustering analysis (LISA) alongside regression techniques to identify distinct commuting behaviors and their alignment with vulnerable population groups. Our findings reveal that average commuting times remain consistent across socioeconomic groups. However, despite residing in areas with greater opportunity density, higher-income populations do not consistently experience shorter commuting times. This highlights a disconnect between spatial proximity to opportunities and actual travel experience. Our analysis reveals significant disparities between sociodemographic groups, particularly regarding the distribution of indigenous populations and gender. Overall, the findings of our study suggest that commuting and accessibility inequalities in Santiago are closely linked to broader social and demographic structures.